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Do you have any tips for people going to a conference for the first time? “Take a proper look at what suits you. You will be spoilt for choice because there’s so much. For example, I went with colleagues to a scienti fic session, which they got a lot out of, but I got less out of it. However, I was enthusiastic about practical workshops. Be sure to choose some thing that stimulates you. You are no longer at school so it’s not a test or an obligation. You can just enjoy yourself. You chose this subject for a reason. Let yourself be inspired again.”

Is there anything that you learnt that you could apply to your work immediately? “One takeaway was not to forget to involve all network partners in complex issues, for exam ple, with someone who is chronically suicidal and regularly stands by the railroad tracks. I had never considered that we could also actively involve the police and discuss what we should do if this person comes into the picture again.

As a psychiatrist, you cannot provide proper care on your own. We all care about society, so broa den your perspective. Don’t stay on your island. Do you now have a better idea of what you ultimately want to achieve in your career? “I don’t know yet. That’s also the wondrous thing about a conference like this; I felt like a child in a sweet shop. I want to try everything. An internship at a TBS clinic, for example, seems quite interesting to me now.”

THE CONFERENCE The Spring Congress 2024 of the Netherlands Psychiatric Association (NVvP) was held from 10 to 12 April in MECC Maastricht. As in previous years, the conference attracted approximately 2,500 participants, consisting of psychiatrists, GPs training to become specialists (AIOs) and other professionals in the field. For three days, participants gained much knowledge during lectures, discussions and work shops on current themes, including Green Psychiatry, reviewing the multidisciplinary guideline on depression, precision psychiatry, moral leadership & climate change, and genetic prediction & biomarkers in psychiatric disorders. During the poster sessions in the Expo Foyer, researchers presented their work to peers, and various prizes were awarded for the best lecture and the best scientific articles of the year. Author Arnon Grunberg concluded the lecture series with a speech on literature and psychiatry. During the party night themed ‘A Night in Paris’, participants could meet up in a more relaxed setting on the dance floor or at the bar.

Spring Congress NVvP 2024

Spring Congress NVvP 2024

'The conference reminded me how much I love my work'

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